This invention relates to surgical systems in general, and more particularly to surgical targeting systems.
Many medical procedures must be carried out at an interior site which is normally hidden from the view of the physician. In these situations, the physician typically uses some sort of scanning device to examine the patient""s anatomy at the interior site prior to, and in preparation for, conducting the actual procedure itself. These scanning devices typically include MRI devices, CT scanners, X-ray machines, ultrasound devices and the like, and serve to provide the physician with a preliminary knowledge of the patient""s internal anatomical structure prior to commencing the procedure. The physician can then use this information to plan the procedure in advance, taking into account patient-specific anatomical structure. In addition, the physician can also use the information obtained from these scans to more precisely identify the location of selected structures (e.g. tumors and the like) which may themselves be located within internal organs or other internal body structures. As a result, the physician can more easily xe2x80x9czero inxe2x80x9d on such selected structures during the subsequent procedure, with less trauma to host organs or other internal body structures. Furthermore, in many cases the structures of interest may be quite small and difficult to identify with the naked eye. In these cases, preliminary scanning of the patient""s internal anatomy using high resolution scanning devices can help the physician locate such structures during the subsequent procedure.
In general, scanning devices of the sort described above tend to generate a series of two-dimensional (i.e., xe2x80x9c2-Dxe2x80x9d) images of the patient""s anatomical structure. For example, CT scanners generate 2-D images which are viewed directly by the physician. By viewing a plurality of these 2-D images, the physician can mentally generate a three-dimensional (i.e., xe2x80x9c3-Dxe2x80x9d) sense of the patient""s anatomical structure.
Some scanning devices create large numbers of 2-D images during the scanning process, with each 2-D image representing a plane or slice taken through the scanned structure. Furthermore, some scanning devices also have associated computer hardware and software for building a 3-D computer model of the patient""s scanned structure using a plurality of these 2-D images. For example, some MRI devices and some CT scanners have such associated computer hardware and software. In these cases, an operator using this scanning equipment and associated computer hardware and software can create a number of 2-D images, assemble them into a 3-D computer model of the scanned structure, and then generate various images of that 3-D computer model as seen from various angles so as to enhance understanding of the patient""s anatomical structure.
While the information generated by the aforementioned scanning devices is generally of great benefit to physicians, certain significant limitations still exist. For one thing, it can be very difficult for a physician to physically locate a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure, even when that structure is readily identifiable in a scanned image. This may be because the structure is very small and difficult to see with the naked eye, or because it is not readily visible against a particular background, or because it is itself located within an internal organ or other internal body structure, etc. For another thing, even when the structure of interest is successfully located by the physician, it can sometimes still be extremely difficult for the physician to reliably direct a medical instrument to that structure. This may be because the structure is quite small and difficult to target accurately, or because intervening body structure mandates a complex approach, etc.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a surgical targeting system to facilitate locating a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system to facilitate locating a particular anatomical structure during a medical procedure.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a series of patient-specific 2-D images (obtained by scanning patient anatomy using one or more scanning devices of the type described above) to be assembled into a 3-D computer model of the patient""s scanned structure.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to view the aforementioned patient-specific 2-D images on a display in any desired access sequence.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to assemble a series of patient-specific 2-D images into a patient-specific database, and then to generate virtual images from the aforementioned patient-specific database, as seen from any desired virtual camera position, for viewing on a display.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which allows a physician to generate virtual images from the aforementioned 3-D computer model, as seen from any desired virtual camera position, for viewing on a display.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing one or more of the aforementioned patient-specific 2-D images, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate 3-D positions when generating virtual images of the 3-D computer model.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing virtual images of the 3-D computer model, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate positions when generating subsequent virtual images of the 3-D computer model.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a physician to place virtual planning markers about any sites of interest while viewing virtual images of the 3-D computer model, with those virtual planning markers then being incorporated into the 3-D computer model and into the database of 2-D images, whereby those virtual planning markers can be displayed in their appropriate positions when subsequently generating virtual images of the 3-D computer model or when subsequently displaying 2-D images from the patient-specific database.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be displayed to a physician, and which permits a virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model to be displayed to a physician, according to the directive of the physician.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be appropriately merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be appropriately merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be in registration with one another.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be in registration with one another, and whereby the physician can choose to display either one of the two images exclusive of the other, or a composite of both images simultaneously.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby the physician can modify the virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model as needed, by clipping or fading, so as to expose the virtual planning markers to view, with the virtual planning markers being superimposed on the real image generated by the real-time viewing device.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image generated by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby the physician can modify the virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model so as to expose only the virtual planning markers to view, with the virtual planning markers being superimposed on the real image generated by the real-time imaging device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby this registration will be automatically maintained even as the real-time imaging device is moved about relative to the anatomical site, with the virtual image being automatically generated so as to follow the real image.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby this registration will be automatically maintained through the use of a computerized position and orientation tracker connected to the imaging device even as the real-time imaging device is moved about relative to the anatomical site, with the virtual image being automatically generated so as to follow the real image.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby this registration will be automatically maintained through the use of a computer search algorithm based on the real image and the virtual image even as the real-time imaging device is moved about relative to the anatomical site, with the virtual image being automatically generated so as to follow the real image.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a real image obtained by a real-time imaging device (e.g. a video camera) to be merged with a corresponding virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model, whereby the two images will be simultaneously displayed in registration with one another, and whereby a surgical instrument can be tracked along with the real-time imaging device in order that the surgical instrument can be guided about the anatomical site using the virtual image generated from the 3-D computer model.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a video-based surgical targeting system which permits a virtual image to be generated from the 3-D computer model, and further wherein this virtual image can correspond to an xe2x80x9cover the shoulderxe2x80x9d view of the working tip of a surgical instrument located at the anatomical site.
And another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for locating anatomical structures during a medical procedure.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through the provision and use of a novel video-based surgical targeting system.
In one form of the invention, the video-based surgical targeting system comprises a patient-specific database comprising a plurality of 2-D images of the anatomical structure of a patient; a patient-specific 3-D computer model of the anatomical structure of the patient, the patient-specific 3-D computer model being assembled from the plurality of 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database; marker placement means for (i) inserting virtual planning markers into the 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database, and/or (ii) adjusting the positions of virtual planning markers inserted into the 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database and thereafter incorporated into the patient-specific 3-D computer model, or inserting virtual planning markers into the 3-D computer model; an image generator for generating a virtual image of the anatomical structure modeled by the patient-specific 3-D computer model; real-time image generating means for generating a real image of the anatomical structure of a patient; video mixing means for mixing the virtual image and the real image into an output image, whereby the output image may comprise either one of the two images exclusive of the other, or a composite of both images; and display means for displaying the output image.
Preferably the video-based surgical targeting system also includes registration means for placing the virtual image in registration with the real image. These registration means may include means for manually aligning the virtual image with the real image, or means for automatically aligning the virtual image with the real image. The registration means may also include tracking means for tracking the position of the real-time image generating means.
Preferably, the video-based surgical targeting system further comprises instrument tracking means for tracking the position of a surgical instrument.
In an alternative form of the invention, the video-based surgical targeting system comprises a patient-specific database comprising a plurality of 2-D images of the anatomical structure of a patient; marker placement means for inserting virtual planning markers into the 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database; an image generator for generating a virtual image of the anatomical structure represented by the plurality of 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database; real-time image generating means for generating a real image of the anatomical structure of a patient; video mixing means for mixing the virtual image and the real image into an output image, whereby the output image may comprise either one of the two images exclusive of the other, or a composite of both images; and display means for displaying the output image.
In another alternative form of the invention, the video-based surgical targeting system comprises a patient-specific database comprising a plurality of images of the anatomical structure of a patient; a patient-specific 3-D computer model of the anatomical structure of the patient, the patient-specific 3-D computer model being assembled from the plurality of images contained in the patient-specific database; marker placement means for (i) inserting virtual planning markers into the images contained in the patient-specific database, and/or (ii) adjusting the positions of virtual planning markers inserted into the images contained in the patient-specific database and thereafter incorporated into the patient-specific 3-D computer model, or inserting virtual planning markers into the 3-D computer model; an image generator for generating a virtual image of the anatomical structure modeled by the patient-specific 3-D computer model; real-time image generating means for generating a real image of the anatomical structure of a patient; video mixing means for mixing the virtual image and the real image into an output image, whereby the output image may comprise either one of the two images exclusive of the other, or a composite of both images; and display means for displaying said output image.
In yet another alternative form of the invention, the video-based surgical targeting system comprises a patient-specific database comprising a plurality of 2-D images of the anatomical structure of a patient; marker placement means for inserting virtual planning markers into the 2-D images contained in the patient-specific database; an image generator for generating a virtual image of the anatomical structure defined by the patient-specific database; real-time image generating means for generating a real image of the anatomical structure of a patient, the real-time image generating means being adapted so as to dynamically update the patient-specific database via the real image; video mixing means for mixing the virtual image and the real image into an output image, whereby the output image may comprise either one of the two images exclusive of the other, or a composite of both images; and display means for displaying said output image.
The present invention also comprises a method for targeting an anatomical structure using the video-based surgical targeting system.